Corner bead having a reinforcing member

ABSTRACT

A corner bead for joining adjacent pieces of wallboard including an arched center section having a pair of wing sections attached thereto. The arched center section extends outwardly above planes defined by the wing sections, and the wings and arched center section define an interior surface which is placed adjacent the wallboard and an exterior surface which is placed opposite the wallboard. A reinforcing member is disposed adjacent the interior surface of the arched center section and attached thereto to provide rigidity to the arched center section.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to wallboard comer bead and particularly to a wallboard corner bead employing a reinforcing member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wallboard corner beads which are suitable for use on inside or outside corners are known. However, prior art beads are insufficient in that they do not provide enough protection from being damaged by objects that strike them when they are installed. This is a common, even frequent, occurrence when the corner bead is installed on an exterior surface where it is likely to be struck by servicemen using dollies and other equipment, children and their toys, or careless walkers-by. Moreover, in arch applications, it is common to get flat spots in the arch due the irregular nature of prior art arch beads. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a corner bead having improved strength and resiliency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a corner bead for joining adjacent pieces of wallboard comprising an arched center section having a pair of wing sections attached thereto. The arched center section extends outwardly above planes defined by the wing sections, and the wings and arched center section define an interior surface which is placed adjacent the wallboard and an exterior surface which is placed opposite the wallboard. A reinforcing member is disposed adjacent the interior surface of the arched center section and attached thereto to provide rigidity to the arched center section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and wherein like numbers and letters refer to like parts wherever they occur

FIG. 1 a sectional view of a corner bead according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 a sectional view of a corner bead applied to an intersection of wallboard according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 a sectional view of a corner bead according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a comer bead according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the corner bead of FIG. 3 applied to an arched opening;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the corner bead of FIG. 3 applied to a rounded wall; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of the corner bead of FIG. 3 applied to a curved corner joint.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprises a preformed corner bead 10 for covering an exterior corner where two pieces of wallboard A meet. The corner bead 10 is made from polyvinyl chloride or composite material and is about 0.035″ thick. The corner bead comprises an arched center section 11 connecting outwardly extending wings 14 and 15. The wings 14 and 15 are most commonly positioned at a generally 90 degree angle with respect to one another, although other angles can be employed. The top of the arch section 11 preferably is about 1/16″ to about 3/32″ above the planes defined by the wings 14 and 15.

A reinforcing member 16 is provided in the general area of a pocket 18 formed by the arched center section 11. The reinforcing member 16 is preferably a tempered wire placed in a bed of adhesive or hot melt glue or thermoplastic 17 in the arched center section 11 and maintained in placed with an adhesive. The reinforcing member 16 can be applied by either applying a first coat of adhesive 17 to the pocket 18, inserting the reinforcing member 16 and covering the wire with a second coat of adhesive 17 over the top of reinforcing member or merely applying the adhesive 17 to the pocket 18 and embedding the reinforcing member 16 in the adhesive 17. The corner bead 10 is applied to a wall in the same manner as corner bead of the prior art. Specifically, a coating 20 of drywall compound is applied to the wallboard A to provide adhesion between the corner bead 10 and the comer is applied to the wallboard A. Next, skim coat 22 of drywall compound is applied over the corner bead 10 and the corner bead is feathered into the wallboard with a coating 24 as a single process. Sanding and finish coats of drywall compound provide a smooth surface. Once the corner bead 10 is applied to the wallboard A, the tempered wire 16 provides rigidity, strength and resiliency. It will also form an even and consistent arch without flat spots.

Alternatively, the reinforcing member 16 may comprise a polyamide hot melt glue as shown in FIG. 3, the hot melt glue provides a lesser degree of strength of rigidity, but still represents an improvement over the prior art. The hot melt glue is applied to the pocket 18 of the arched center section in a heated, liquid state and fills the pocket 18. The glue then cools to a solid state and provides a reinforcing function.

Preferably, though not required, adhered to the corner bead are a plurality of discrete fibers, as described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,027, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The fibers are known as floc and can be Nylon, rayon, Dacron, polyester, cotton or other cellulose, or other similar fibers or combinations of fibers. The fibers have a diameter of about 1-3 Tow deniers, but larger or smaller sizes will work. The preferred lengths of fibers are about 0.005 to about 0.030 inches. Those parameters are preferred because when the coated corner bead is applied to a wall joint and only the corner bead edge is skim coated, the uncoated surfaces can be painted as a finished wall. The preferred size fibers are small enough to lay down when painted so the paint will create a smooth finished surface. Larger sized fibers do not give the desired smooth, painted surface.

The previously described embodiment is used when the wallboard meets along a generally straight line. However, where archways are employed or other nonlinear junctions of wallboard of FIG. 1 is modified as shown in FIG. 3. The second embodiment comprises a curvable corner bead 10 having the outwardly depending and diverging wings 14 and 15 attached by the arched center section 11. The wings 14 and 15 are provided with V-shaped notches 32 which have their apex 34 offset from the arched center section 11 and their widest part is most remote from the center arched section 11. The notches 32 thus define adjacent triangular solid members 14 a and 15 a on their respective wings 14 and 15.

The notches 32 in each depending wing 14 and 15 are staggered so that the apex of a notch 32 on wing 14 is aligned with approximately the center of the triangularly shaped solid member 15 a of the opposed wing 15. Thus the wings 14 and 15 are formed of a continuous series of triangularly shaped pieces 14 a, 15 a. At the point on the triangular pieces 14 a, 15 a which is most remote from the center section 11 and along the outer edges of the corner bead 10 are releasable and removable tear strips 36 and 38. The purpose for the tear strips 36 and 38 is to allow the notches 32 to separate when the comer bead 10 is applied to an arched or rounded opening or comer as shown in FIGS. 7-9. The pieces 15 a on the inner side of the curved comer gather together as also seen in FIG. 9. Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,4.18,027 and 5,037,686, which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Just as in the first embodiment, a reinforcing member 16 comprising tempered wire is placed in the arched center section 11 and maintained in placed with an adhesive that encapsulates the wire. Alternatively, the reinforcing member 16 may comprise a polyamide hot melt glue as in the first embodiment.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A corner bead for joining adjacent pieces of wallboard comprising: an arched center section having a pair of wing sections attached thereto, the arched center section extending outwardly above planes defined by the wing sections, the wings and arched center section defining an interior surface which is placed adjacent the wallboard and an exterior surface which is placed opposite the wallboard; and a reinforcing member disposed adjacent the interior surface of the arched center section and attached thereto to provide rigidity to the arched center section.
 2. The corner bead of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing member is tempered wire.
 3. The corner bead of claim 2 including an adhesive retaining the wire to the interior surface of the arched center section.
 4. The corner bead of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing member is a polyamide hot melt glue.
 5. The corner bead of claim 1 wherein the material is a flexible polymeric material.
 6. The corner bead of claim 1 wherein the wings are covered with a plurality of discrete fibers.
 7. The corner bead of claim 1 further defining a plurality of triangular cutouts in the wings that allow the corner bead to follow nonlinear intersections of wallboard.
 8. The corner bead of claim 7 further comprising tear strips adjacent the triangular cutouts.
 9. A corner bead for joining adjacent pieces of wallboard comprising: an arched center section having a pair of wing sections attached thereto, the arched center section extending outwardly above planes defined by the wing sections, the wings and arched center section defining an interior surface which is placed adjacent the wallboard and an exterior surface which is placed opposite the wallboard, wherein both the interior and exterior surface of the wings comprise a plurality of discrete fibers; and a reinforcing member disposed adjacent the interior surface of the arched center section and attached thereto to provide rigidity to the arched center section.
 10. The corner bead of claim 8 wherein the reinforcing member is, tempered wire.
 11. The corner bead of claim 10 including an adhesive retaining the wire to the interior surface of the arched center section.
 12. The corner bead of claim 9 wherein the reinforcing member is a polyamide hot melt glue.
 13. The corner bead of claim 9 wherein the material is a flexible polymeric material.
 14. The corner bead of claim 9 further defining a plurality of triangular cutouts in the wings that allow the corner bead to follow nonlinear intersections of wallboard.
 15. The corner bead of claim 14 further comprising tear strips adjacent the triangular cutouts.
 16. A corner bead for joining adjacent pieces of wallboard comprising: an arched center section having a pair of wing sections attached thereto, the arched center section extending outwardly above planes defined by the wing sections, the wings and arched center section defining an interior surface which is placed adjacent the wallboard and an exterior surface which is placed opposite the wallboard; and a tempered wire reinforcing member disposed adjacent the interior surface of the arched center section and attached thereto to provide rigidity to the arched center section.
 17. The corner bead of claim 16 wherein the material is a flexible polymeric material.
 18. The corner bead of claim 16 wherein the wings are covered with a plurality of discrete fibers.
 19. The corner bead of claim 16 further defining a plurality of triangular cutouts in the wings that allow the corner bead to follow nonlinear intersections of wallboard.
 20. The corner bead of claim 19 further comprising tear strips adjacent the triangular cutouts. 